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crackyourknowledge10 · 2 years ago

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Crack Your Knowledge: Illuminating the Path of Video Marketing Mastery

Welcome back to Crack Your Knowledge, where we're setting sail on the digital seas, exploring the fascinating world of Search Engine Marketing (SEM). In this blog post, we'll embark on a journey to decode the intricacies of SEM, guiding you through its significance, strategies, and the keys to unlocking success.

The Essence of SEM: What Sets It Apart?

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a dynamic and potent approach to digital marketing that revolves around paid advertising on search engines. Unlike Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which focuses on organic strategies to improve visibility, SEM involves investing in paid advertising to elevate your online presence swiftly.

Cracking the SEM Code: How It Works

Imagine SEM as a treasure map leading directly to your digital chest of offerings. The journey begins with crafting compelling ads and bidding on specific keywords relevant to your business. When users conduct searches using those keywords, your ads have the chance to appear prominently in the sponsored sections of search engine results pages (SERPs). Cracking the SEM code involves strategic keyword selection, engaging ad copy, and efficient bid management with crack your knowledge.

Keywords: The Crown Jewels of SEM Success

At the heart of SEM lies the treasure trove of keywords. These are the terms and phrases your potential customers are typing into search engines. Successful SEM requires meticulous keyword research to identify the gems that align with your business objectives. By bidding on these keywords, you ensure your ads are showcased to users actively seeking products or services like yours.

Ad Copy: Crafting the Message that Sells

The success of your SEM campaign isn't just about being seen; it's about captivating your audience. Crafting compelling ad copy is the art of conveying your unique value proposition in a concise and persuasive manner. Your ad should not only match the user's search intent but also entice them to click, explore, and ultimately convert.

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In the world of SEM, strategic bid management is your compass. Bids determine how much you're pay for your ad. Effective bid management involves finding the sweet spot – bidding enough to secure prominent ad placements while ensuring a positive return on investment (ROI). It's like navigating the high seas, adjusting your course based on currents and winds.

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As your audience clicks on your enticing ads, they set sail to the destination of your landing pages. Optimized landing pages are vital for converting clicks into valuable actions – be it a purchase, sign-up, or any other desired outcome. with the help of crack your knowledge Cracking the SEM code includes ensuring your landing pages align seamlessly with the promises made in your ads.

Analytics: Navigating with Data Compass

Just as sailors rely on compasses to navigate, SEM marketers rely on analytics. Tracking and analyzing data provide insights into the performance of your campaigns. Metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per conversion act as your data compass, guiding you to make informed decisions and optimize your strategy for better results.

Conclusion: Charting Your Course to SEM Success

As we anchor our SEM exploration, remember that success in the world of SEM involves continuous navigation, adjustment, and optimization. At Crack Your Knowledge, we're committed to guiding you through the dynamic waters of digital marketing. Stay tuned for more insights, strategies, and success stories as we continue our journey through the vast ocean of knowledge.

#digital marketing #crackyourknowledge #video marketing #seo #search engine optimisation #search engine marketing #website #blog #web design #webdevelopment #development #software #userexperience

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treasure-mimic · 2 years ago

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So, let me try and put everything together here, because I really do think it needs to be talked about.

Today, Unity announced that it intends to apply a fee to use its software. Then it got worse.

For those not in the know, Unity is the most popular free to use video game development tool, offering a basic version for individuals who want to learn how to create games or create independently alongside paid versions for corporations or people who want more features. It's decent enough at this job, has issues but for the price point I can't complain, and is the idea entry point into creating in this medium, it's a very important piece of software.

But speaking of tools, the CEO is a massive one. When he was the COO of EA, he advocated for using, what out and out sounds like emotional manipulation to coerce players into microtransactions.

"A consumer gets engaged in a property, they might spend 10, 20, 30, 50 hours on the game and then when they're deep into the game they're well invested in it. We're not gouging, but we're charging and at that point in time the commitment can be pretty high."

He also called game developers who don't discuss monetization early in the planning stages of development, quote, "fucking idiots".

So that sets the stage for what might be one of the most bald-faced greediest moves I've seen from a corporation in a minute. Most at least have the sense of self-preservation to hide it.

A few hours ago, Unity posted this announcement on the official blog.

Effective January 1, 2024, we will introduce a new Unity Runtime Fee that’s based on game installs. We will also add cloud-based asset storage, Unity DevOps tools, and AI at runtime at no extra cost to Unity subscription plans this November. We are introducing a Unity Runtime Fee that is based upon each time a qualifying game is downloaded by an end user. We chose this because each time a game is downloaded, the Unity Runtime is also installed. Also we believe that an initial install-based fee allows creators to keep the ongoing financial gains from player engagement, unlike a revenue share.

Now there are a few red flags to note in this pitch immediately.

Unity is planning on charging a fee on all games which use its engine.

This is a flat fee per number of installs.

They are using an always online runtime function to determine whether a game is downloaded.

There is just so many things wrong with this that it's hard to know where to start, not helped by this FAQ which doubled down on a lot of the major issues people had.

I guess let's start with what people noticed first. Because it's using a system baked into the software itself, Unity would not be differentiating between a "purchase" and a "download". If someone uninstalls and reinstalls a game, that's two downloads. If someone gets a new computer or a new console and downloads a game already purchased from their account, that's two download. If someone pirates the game, the studio will be asked to pay for that download.

Q: How are you going to collect installs? A: We leverage our own proprietary data model. We believe it gives an accurate determination of the number of times the runtime is distributed for a given project. Q: Is software made in unity going to be calling home to unity whenever it's ran, even for enterprice licenses? A: We use a composite model for counting runtime installs that collects data from numerous sources. The Unity Runtime Fee will use data in compliance with GDPR and CCPA. The data being requested is aggregated and is being used for billing purposes. Q: If a user reinstalls/redownloads a game / changes their hardware, will that count as multiple installs? A: Yes. The creator will need to pay for all future installs. The reason is that Unity doesn’t receive end-player information, just aggregate data. Q: What's going to stop us being charged for pirated copies of our games? A: We do already have fraud detection practices in our Ads technology which is solving a similar problem, so we will leverage that know-how as a starting point. We recognize that users will have concerns about this and we will make available a process for them to submit their concerns to our fraud compliance team.

This is potentially related to a new system that will require Unity Personal developers to go online at least once every three days.

Starting in November, Unity Personal users will get a new sign-in and online user experience. Users will need to be signed into the Hub with their Unity ID and connect to the internet to use Unity. If the internet connection is lost, users can continue using Unity for up to 3 days while offline. More details to come, when this change takes effect.

It's unclear whether this requirement will be attached to any and all Unity games, though it would explain how they're theoretically able to track "the number of installs", and why the methodology for tracking these installs is so shit, as we'll discuss later.

Unity claims that it will only leverage this fee to games which surpass a certain threshold of downloads and yearly revenue.

Only games that meet the following thresholds qualify for the Unity Runtime Fee: Unity Personal and Unity Plus: Those that have made $200,000 USD or more in the last 12 months AND have at least 200,000 lifetime game installs. Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise: Those that have made $1,000,000 USD or more in the last 12 months AND have at least 1,000,000 lifetime game installs.

They don't say how they're going to collect information on a game's revenue, likely this is just to say that they're only interested in squeezing larger products (games like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, Fate Grand Order, Among Us, and Fall Guys) and not every 2 dollar puzzle platformer that drops on Steam. But also, these larger products have the easiest time porting off of Unity and the most incentives to, meaning realistically those heaviest impacted are going to be the ones who just barely meet this threshold, most of them indie developers.

Aggro Crab Games, one of the first to properly break this story, points out that systems like the Xbox Game Pass, which is already pretty predatory towards smaller developers, will quickly inflate their "lifetime game installs" meaning even skimming the threshold of that 200k revenue, will be asked to pay a fee per install, not a percentage on said revenue.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Hey Gamers!

Today, Unity (the engine we use to make our games) announced that they'll soon be taking a fee from developers for every copy of the game installed over a certain threshold - regardless of how that copy was obtained.

Guess who has a somewhat highly anticipated game coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2024? That's right, it's us and a lot of other developers.

That means Another Crab's Treasure will be free to install for the 25 million Game Pass subscribers. If a fraction of those users download our game, Unity could take a fee that puts an enormous dent in our income and threatens the sustainability of our business.

And that's before we even think about sales on other platforms, or pirated installs of our game, or even multiple installs by the same user!!!

This decision puts us and countless other studios in a position where we might not be able to justify using Unity for our future titles. If these changes aren't rolled back, we'll be heavily considering abandoning our wealth of Unity expertise we've accumulated over the years and starting from scratch in a new engine. Which is really something we'd rather not do.

On behalf of the dev community, we're calling on Unity to reverse the latest in a string of shortsighted decisions that seem to prioritize shareholders over their product's actual users.

I fucking hate it here.

-Aggro Crab - END DESCRIPTION]

That fee, by the way, is a flat fee. Not a percentage, not a royalty. This means that any games made in Unity expecting any kind of success are heavily incentivized to cost as much as possible.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A table listing the various fees by number of Installs over the Install Threshold vs. version of Unity used, ranging from $0.01 to $0.20 per install. END DESCRIPTION]

Basic elementary school math tells us that if a game comes out for $1.99, they will be paying, at maximum, 10% of their revenue to Unity, whereas jacking the price up to $59.99 lowers that percentage to something closer to 0.3%. Obviously any company, especially any company in financial desperation, which a sudden anchor on all your revenue is going to create, is going to choose the latter.

Furthermore, and following the trend of "fuck anyone who doesn't ask for money", Unity helpfully defines what an install is on their main site.

While I'm looking at this page as it exists now, it currently says

The installation and initialization of a game or app on an end user’s device as well as distribution via streaming is considered an “install.” Games or apps with substantially similar content may be counted as one project, with installs then aggregated to calculate the Unity Runtime Fee.

However, I saw a screenshot saying something different, and utilizing the Wayback Machine we can see that this phrasing was changed at some point in the few hours since this announcement went up. Instead, it reads:

The installation and initialization of a game or app on an end user’s device as well as distribution via streaming or web browser is considered an “install.” Games or apps with substantially similar content may be counted as one project, with installs then aggregated to calculate the Unity Runtime Fee.

Screenshot for posterity:

That would mean web browser games made in Unity would count towards this install threshold. You could legitimately drive the count up simply by continuously refreshing the page. The FAQ, again, doubles down.

Q: Does this affect WebGL and streamed games? A: Games on all platforms are eligible for the fee but will only incur costs if both the install and revenue thresholds are crossed. Installs - which involves initialization of the runtime on a client device - are counted on all platforms the same way (WebGL and streaming included).

And, what I personally consider to be the most suspect claim in this entire debacle, they claim that "lifetime installs" includes installs prior to this change going into effect.

Will this fee apply to games using Unity Runtime that are already on the market on January 1, 2024? Yes, the fee applies to eligible games currently in market that continue to distribute the runtime. We look at a game's lifetime installs to determine eligibility for the runtime fee. Then we bill the runtime fee based on all new installs that occur after January 1, 2024.

Again, again, doubled down in the FAQ.

Q: Are these fees going to apply to games which have been out for years already? If you met the threshold 2 years ago, you'll start owing for any installs monthly from January, no? (in theory). It says they'll use previous installs to determine threshold eligibility & then you'll start owing them for the new ones. A: Yes, assuming the game is eligible and distributing the Unity Runtime then runtime fees will apply. We look at a game's lifetime installs to determine eligibility for the runtime fee. Then we bill the runtime fee based on all new installs that occur after January 1, 2024.

That would involve billing companies for using their software before telling them of the existence of a bill. Holding their actions to a contract that they performed before the contract existed!

Okay. I think that's everything. So far.

There is one thing that I want to mention before ending this post, unfortunately it's a little conspiratorial, but it's so hard to believe that anyone genuinely thought this was a good idea that it's stuck in my brain as a significant possibility.

A few days ago it was reported that Unity's CEO sold 2,000 shares of his own company.

On September 6, 2023, John Riccitiello, President and CEO of Unity Software Inc (NYSE:U), sold 2,000 shares of the company. This move is part of a larger trend for the insider, who over the past year has sold a total of 50,610 shares and purchased none.

I would not be surprised if this decision gets reversed tomorrow, that it was literally only made for the CEO to short his own goddamn company, because I would sooner believe that this whole thing is some idiotic attempt at committing fraud than a real monetization strategy, even knowing how unfathomably greedy these people can be.

So, with all that said, what do we do now?

Well, in all likelihood you won't need to do anything. As I said, some of the biggest names in the industry would be directly affected by this change, and you can bet your bottom dollar that they're not just going to take it lying down. After all, the only way to stop a greedy CEO is with a greedier CEO, right?

(I fucking hate it here.)

And that's not mentioning the indie devs who are already talking about abandoning the engine.

[Links display tweets from the lead developer of Among Us saying it'd be less costly to hire people to move the game off of Unity and Cult of the Lamb's official twitter saying the game won't be available after January 1st in response to the news.]

That being said, I'm still shaken by all this. The fact that Unity is openly willing to go back and punish its developers for ever having used the engine in the past makes me question my relationship to it.

The news has given rise to the visibility of free, open source alternative Godot, which, if you're interested, is likely a better option than Unity at this point. Mostly, though, I just hope we can get out of this whole, fucking, environment where creatives are treated as an endless mill of free profits that's going to be continuously ratcheted up and up to drive unsustainable infinite corporate growth that our entire economy is based on for some fuckin reason.

Anyways, that's that, I find having these big posts that break everything down to be helpful.

#Unity #Unity3D #Video Games #Game Development #Game Developers #fuckshit #I don't know what to tag news like this

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elderscrollsconceptart · 8 days ago

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youtube

[Most of the relevant sections regarding concept art are in the first 1/2 of the video FYI]

This is a useful video by the "Souls Series" YouTuber Illusory Wall. The video is a breakdown on false claims that Elden Ring had "Ai" concept art (It did not in case that wasn't obvious) and how false accusations of real artists using Ai is offensive and harmful to them and their industry

Most of the "fraudulent" art practices Illusory Wall rebukes are long-standing artistic practices in concept art and game dev. Eg. Photobashing, asset reuse, mixing 3D layers into art, etc.

He also shares and discusses details of the "how and the why" of concept art and its function in game development. If you're not familiar with the practical function of concept art, the info here is basic, but *super* informative and useful.

Many of these are techniques we also see in ESO and Oblivion Remastered concept art, as well as later Fallout series art. Hell, even Skyrim used some of the techniques and methods discussed in the video.

Even if you're not an Elden Ring fan, much of the information discussed in the video relates to the look and the function of concept art you may see on this blog. The second half is more of a "general" or point specific discussion about AI and art. However, the overall information is quite useful to broaden the (false) perception that artists are just making everything with a pen and paper and not using rendering software and other programs.

(The most relevant sections to this blog are discussed in the first 1/2 of the video)

#tes ponderings #art #concept art #Illusory wall #video #video game design #art techniques #Youtube

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everygame · 6 months ago

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Special Delivery: Santa’s Christmas Chaos (C64)

Developed/Published by: Dalali Software / Creative Sparks (Thorn EMI Computer Software) Released: 1984 Completed: 05/12/2024 Completion: Got a high score of 8750. I’ll take it!

Writing about old video games for an audience of very few could seem like a thankless task–especially when they’re as awful as Christmas Crackers. But there’s a reason I do it. One, I just love playing games, even if they’re so crap I give up on them in minutes. Two, I just love learning. I love discovery, I love finding out things that are new to me about video games and their history. And sometimes, if I’m lucky, I find out some things that no one has really paid attention to before.

I never thought playing a completely random Christmas cash-in on C64 would bring me anything like that.

Special Delivery: Santa’s Christmas Chaos is a game for C64, Spectrum and Atari 8-Bit released by Dalali Software under Thorn EMI’s “Creative Sparks” imprint. At the time it sank without trace due to, apparently, a lack of marketing. After playing it–and I will get into that–I did my usual investigation into the developer, and was quite prepared to dismiss Dalali as one of the many fly-by-night British game developers of the 1980s–they appeared to be only a going concern between 1984 and 1989 and didn’t have any particularly notable games to their name. They were responsible for ports of Rescue On Fractalus and Lilttle Computer People to Amstrad CPC, but largely seem to have had the bad luck of being most related to 1986’s Biggles game. The weirdest thing about that is that not only did I really like the movie on which it was based (which I’m sure no one else remembers but me) when I was a kid, watching it on telly several times, I’ve actually played the game! It was on Amstrad Action #68’s covertape (along with How To Be A Complete Bastard!) and, as vague as my memories of it are now, I’m sure I played it loads of times. Less than How To Be A Complete Bastard, admittedly.

This led me to dig a little further, and sometimes things just fall into place, because I found an astonishingly in-depth article from Sham Mountebank’s When Were They Now? blog (a new one to me) all about Dalali. I think Mountebank slightly buries the lede however, because digging into the linked articles it seems absolutely remarkable that Dalali is not only in the ranks of the earliest companies to have been founded (or co-founded) by a woman, but very likely the first game company founded by a Palestinian: Hanan Samara.

Hanan Samara, pictured in Computer & Video Games March 1985.

Game companies had been co-founded by women before–most famously Sierra, by Roberta Williams and her husband Ken in 1979–but I think Samara’s story might be unique. According to an interview with ANTIC The Atari 8-bit Podcast she believes she might have been the first female assembly programmer in the UK, starting out by converting software to work for the Arabic market. Moving to work for Thorn EMI, she’d see a Humpty Dumpty puzzle game–programmed by her future husband(!) Chris James–and be “hooked.”

After coding Jumbo Jet Pilot for Atari 8-Bit for Thorn EMI, it seems that she made the leap to founding Dalali–named for her mother’s maiden name (as her mother said go for it, while her dad said to get a job at IBM...) with another ex-employee, Adrian Wadley.

Something I really appreciate about Samara’s story is that she immediately brought herself to game design, with Dalali’s first game “Jinn Genie”. While this kind of Arabic-theming undoubtedly seems stereotypical today, in an interview with Popular Computing Weekly it is clear that this is an early example of someone trying to represent their culture via the art of video games:

“Jinn Genie is a game that incorporates many of the basic myths and children’s stories of my culture–I am an Arab, a Palestinian, and all the ideas of genies and so on are familiar to me.”

Jinn Genie, on C64.

The most disappointing thing, to me, is that Samara is, at this point, unheralded outside of a blog post, one short podcast, and about… three short articles featuring three pictures that can be found on archive.org! She’s one of the UK’s earliest female programmers, game designers and founders, perhaps the first Palestinian game developer, and she has managed to run Dalali since 1984 because it’s still going–they just stopped making games.

Samara’s story isn’t mine to tell, so I hope that institutions like GDC, The Video Game History Foundation or The Strong can find out more and champion her. Figures such as Muriel Tramis have gone from overlooked to winning the Legion of Honour, and if I can help get the word out about Hanan Samara, just a little bit, I’ll feel I’ve done my part.

But I know what you’re asking now.

“But how good is Special Delivery: Santa’s Christmas Chaos???”

So let's return to regular programming. First, I’m going to note that I believe I have played the wrong version of this. When it came to games, Samara was an Atari 8-bit coder, and it is absolutely transparent that Special Delivery is based entirely on Jinn Genie–both feature a flying section, a climbing section, and a section with floors and ladders. It does feel like I should have played the Atari 8-bit version to experience the most representative version, as I did with playing the C64 version of Pirates, let’s say.

(It’s worth mentioning here also that the ANTIC podcast–recorded seven years ago now–even notes that the version of Jinn Genie that Samara coded, for the Atari 8-bit, seems to be lost, although Samara does say that she has a copy of it somewhere. Aforementioned institutions could probably help with that too. What that largely means, though, is that the Atari 8-bit version of Special Delivery is the closest you can get to playing the original Jinn Genie.)

To be fair, the C64 version seems pretty close to the original (the ZX Spectrum port is… not).

As I’ve said previously, my expectations for a Chrimbo cash-in have been low, and no matter how much this is sort of a reskin of a previous game, that it’s got an idea and an actual design exceeds anything I’ve expected. At first glance you might go “well, isn’t this just Santa Claus again?” (or even Santa’s Sleigh Ride.) But it’s honestly much more–even if it is still a bit weird.

In Special Delivery, you’re first flying across the screen in Santa’s (somewhat confusingly drawn) sleigh, collecting presents that… angels are dropping. Which implies that this is in fact the historical Saint Nicolas, or maybe I’m just overthinking it. You’re trying to collect a target number of presents, but you lose them if you crash into clouds (odd) or accidentally collect a demonic present dropped by a devil (who appear rarely, but look very much like angels, annoyingly.) Losing presents won’t kill you, but Santa has a set amount of hours in the night, and you lose an hour if you get struck by the lightning that occasionally appears from the strangely firm clouds.

If you collect enough presents, you get to land on a big house to put presents under the tree. First this requires you climb down the chimney, which in this situation is: huge, full of ladders, and lit so flames keep climbing the ladders that you have to dodge. Once you’ve done that, you’re actually in the house, where you have to Solid Snake your way to the tree, drop off the present, grab the front door key, and then leave through the front door, while the residents run wildly from one room to the next, seemingly out of their nut with either excitement for Christmas or hatred for Santa. Get hit by a flame or grabbed by a resident and you’ll lose an hour.

Interestingly, if you don’t collect enough presents, you don’t get to go into any big houses, but you do get to drop presents down the chimney of some wee houses. You only really pick up big points for going into big houses, which raises the concerning idea that Santa only gives a fuck about you if you’re rich enough to live in a big house.

But to be fair, the people in big houses seem absolutely determined to not get pressies, keeping their fires roaring and attacking Santa on sight, so perhaps he just likes the challenge. “I hope Santa doesn’t show up” they’re saying, “we’ve got all the stuff we need in this big house. We don’t need wooden toys or whatever the historic Saint Nick would be handing out, he should give those to the poor people in the wee houses.”

More fool them, I checked Wikipedia and he was dropping off bags of gold coins through people’s windows. (Admittedly to stop them being sold into prostitution.)

Anyway. Even before I knew the exciting context for Special Delivery, I was struck by how… weirdly ok it was! Maybe it’s just how bad the other Santa-em-ups have been (well, I guess I didn’t hate Merry Xmas Santa) but the different sections largely make sense together, undoubtedly because it’s based on Jinn Genie. The main problem really is that it just doesn’t control very well. Flying the sleigh is stiff, and when you’re actually controlling Santa himself, he reacts very slowly to your input, meaning you have to time presses based on the lag, and I probably lost most of my lives in the chimneys as a result–it might be better on the Atari 8-Bit, so more fool me.

Special Delivery is not really the kind of thing that’s going to hold your attention for very long, but it does actually manage to be playable and feels properly festive. I’ll celebrate that.

Will I ever play it again? I was surprised to see a non-zero number of people say online that playing this is a bit of a Christmas tradition. Well, I don’t think I will be taking it up, but I do fancy playing Jinn Genie at some point now--maybe once that Atari 8-bit version is found!

Final Thought: In my research I was surprised to discover not only had I played a Dalai Software game before, I’d also played a Creative Sparks game, similarly loads of times: Danger Mouse In Double Trouble. Strangely, it has the same multi-game design as this (and I guess, a lot of the computer games of the era) but suffered a lot more for them not having any meaningful connection and mostly being rubbish. Even as a child I remember enjoying just the jungle level and suffering through the rest to get through that. The things you’ll do when you’ve got nothing else as a child.

Every Game I’ve Finished 14>24 is OUT NOW! You can pick it up in paperback, kindle, or epub/pdf. You can also support Every Game I’ve Finished on ko-fi! You can pick up digital copies of exp., a zine featuring all-exclusive writing at my shop, or join as a supporter at just $1 a month and get articles like this a week early.

#gaming #video games #txt #games #text #review #dalali software #c64 #hanan samara #palestinian #retro games #retro gaming #special delivery: santa's christmas chaos #creative sparks #thorn emi

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rainbowsky · 9 months ago

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Hey RBS.. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead. Do you think Globalfever fansite is being managed directly by someone from GG/DD’s team. Many a times I wonder how that site able to get tickets to all of our boys events and capture such close up candid shots of GGDD unless she is part of their inner circle?

Example today - https://weibo.com/7320958826/OydEkDN0w

not sure if it’s original or edited.. from that video it looks like XZ acknowledged her words of Jiayou and bye bye

Hi Natashayishan, thanks! I hope you're well, and that you have a wonderful week too! 😊

Here's the video for those who don't have access to Weibo.

To answer this question I'm going to start by explaining a bit of background about fansites and how they function (I'm by no means an expert, but here's my understanding of how it all works).

Part 1 - Fansites in General

There has been a lot of talk about fansites over the years, and some have faced accusations, criticisms, confusion, suspicions, theories both positive and negative for a very long time. I think they're largely misunderstood by a lot of fans.

For example, it's not uncommon for people to believe fansites are stalkers, or that they shamelessly profit from the unauthorized use of a star's image or footage, or that they're organizations that exist for the purpose of exploiting stars.

This isn't really how it works at all. In general, a fansite is just one fan who follows a star's career and enjoys sharing photos and videos they take of that star. Plain and simple. Some fansites involve more than one person, but most are just made up of individuals.

Yes, they sometimes make money selling photo books and other merch, but that money tends to go back into supporting the star -buying endorsement products, arranging events and giveaways, buying or upgrading equipment needed to create fansite content (cameras, computer equipment, software), paying for tickets (many of which are overpriced reseller tickets) and travel/accommodations to attend events, etc.

It might seem glamorous - and there's undeniably a glamorous aspect to it - but to me it looks very stressful, like a huge headache. These fans generally have their own lives and careers outside of fandom, so coordinating everything, waiting in lines, standing in the rain outside appearances and events, not to mention the pressure to attend events and post regular updates, and all the haters and antis they are constantly dealing with, the amount of stress and frustration they deal with must be immense.

It's a lot of work, and for this reason, fansites don't always stay fansites. Some retire as their real life interests and obligations shift. One of my favorite GGDD fansites - Midnight Dream - retired a few years ago. 😢

Fansites are an important part of any celebrity's support system. While no - they aren't part of a celebrity's team or on their payroll, they do play a huge part in helping to bring attention to a star and build buzz around them, their projects, their appearances, events and other activities.

If you want an analogy that might help it make more sense to you, just look at some of the sports fans across the globe who will follow all the matches, follow team developments, team picks, managers and training, and share all that info on blogs, podcasts or dedicated sports fan sites.

This is very similar. They're just really dedicated fans who build a following by being where we can't be, and sharing their experiences so that we can feel like we were there, too.

And they provide the fans and the stars an immense, immeasurable service IMHO, despite what we might agree or disagree with about the way fandom culture works. The content they capture and share is almost always far more intimate (generally without being invasive), and of a far higher quality than that of the professionals hired to cover these events on behalf of media agencies and management.

Fansites do get some official support from time to time. For example, there are events where fansites can get approval - almost like a press pass or a security pass - to attend and be in certain locations within or near facilities to take photographs, video, etc., but they are not hired or compensated by the star or their team.

A lot of it is also largely unknown/unknowable, so it's hard to be sure of the details. There are always going to be rumors and claims. For example, there have been claims that during SDOC Yibo was allowed to invite 4 fansites to come to the finale, and of the 4, he chose 3 BXG fansites and only one solo site. I haven't seen proof of that, but the claim was making the rounds a lot at the time.

One thing we do know - he chose a fansite photo to give to Yangkai when he was courting him to join his team in season 4. (Of course, solos made a huge stink and Youku ended up editing the footage to remove the photo, but we saw what we saw).

There are other examples of GG and DD interacting with or showing acceptance of their BXG fansites. I started looking for some references and then realized it was not something I have time for or interest in. I'm not here to give a comprehensive analysis anyway, I'm just here to give a simple-ish answer to your question. If others want to discuss that in the notes, that's fine.

So, hopefully some of that background info will have answered parts of your question, and gives you more tools to evaluate things on your own moving forward.

Part 2 - Global Fever

As for Global Fever specifically, well... Global Fever is one of the most treasured BXG in the entire fandom. This dedicated fan has been following GG and DD BOTH, since they debuted. She is more than just a CP fan, she's been a supporter of their individual careers since day 1.

Yes, since back when Yibo was still the White Peony.

She became a CP fan in the natural way - by seeing her faves work together on The Untamed, by watching them interact and by following them and their careers. No, she doesn't work for their teams (they both have dedicated teams of their own, and they don't need to pay fansites who - after all - will do this stuff for free). It's just that she's recognizable to GG and DD because she's been a fixture in their lives for so many years.

And this is something solos need to get their heads around: BXG are fans too. I think there's this conceit among solos that THEY'RE GG and DD's fans and BXG are something else, but in reality (and, no doubt, in the eyes of GG and DD) BXG are their fans too.

Never could that be more apparent than when a dedicated fan like Global Fever jiejie is calling 'Zhanzhan, jiayou!' and 'byebye!' as he's boarding an elevator on the way to the stage. Of course GG recognized her and smiled at her. Of course.

#bjyx #yizhan #bxg ggdd #fansites #bxg fansites #the mysteries of yizhan #ask #greater bay concert 2024

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ratarade · 2 months ago

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Hatsune Miku: The First Virtual Pop Diva

To begin, I must explain what VOCALOID is. It is a voice synthesis software application, capable of singing, developed by Yamaha Corporation. It allows users to generate a song simply by writing the lyrics and melody. Depending on which VOCALOID is used, the voice of the song will vary. In 2004, Crypton Future Media released their first Vocaloid with the software VOCALOID01, called Meiko.

Although Meiko, and later Kaito (2006), did not achieve great success, Crypton Future Media, in 2007, launched Hatsune Miku through the VOCALOID2 software (an update to the first version). Her name translates to "First Sound of the Future." Hatsune Miku was the first virtual vocal character and remains the most famous to this day.

She quickly went viral on a Japanese video-sharing platform (Nico Nico Douga), where users listened to the songs and created collaborative content. Starting from the original song, other users on the platform would create illustrations, 2D and 3D animations, and remixes, demonstrating the various possibilities of using the software for multimedia content creation.

After this initial success, various projects involving Hatsune Miku began, one of the most important being the release of her own video game, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva (2009) a rhythm game released by Sega for the PlayStation Portable, featuring songs such as 'World is Mine' and 'Levan Polka. That same year, Hatsune Miku made her first guest appearance at a concert (Animelo Summer Live), where she was projected on a 2D screen.

A few months later, on August 31, the “Miku FES'09 (Natsu)” took place, where Hatsune Miku performed as the first hologram singer. On March 9, 2010, Miku's first solo live performance titled “Miku no Hi Kanshasai 39's Giving Day” took place, becoming one of her most viral and visited concerts on the internet to this day.

Although the title of this blog is "Hatsune Miku: The First Virtual Pop Diva," her music varies in terms of musical genres. This is due to what I explained earlier: anyone can use the Hatsune Miku software and can use her voice to create the music they desire. Therefore, she is not only the first virtual singer and the first hologram singer, Hatsune Miku is a massification tool for music creation.

#hatsune miku #miku #music #vocaloid

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wingedqueenlynx · 22 days ago

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Who’s this foxy I see on your blog? 🫶🏻

OOOO IM GLAD YOU ASKED HEHE!!! 🧡🧡🧡

OC Ramble Mode Engage!:

Cathy Burke, aka Flying-Fox, nicknamed Foxy for short is an OC that I have created along with a bunch of other OCs and are a part a whole Arkhamverse Au Story called Arkham Survivor.

She is a 25 year old, Irish-American that was born and raised in Gotham (grew up in the rough parts of Founders island) and was left homeless on the streets for 2 years (throughout the events of Asylum and City). Batman retired immediately after Joker's death, leaving Gotham to fend for itself. By sheer dumb luck, she managed to stumble upon him and train to Gothams new protector.

Without her mask, Cathy is a lot more socially awkward and shy around people and usually keeps to herself whenever she can and always tries to keep a brave face- even if the situations is not working in her favour. But when the mask is on and she becomes The Flying-Fox, she gains more confidence and is able to express herself more comfortably. Being more outgoing and charming to others- taking the term "Masking" to a whole new level. Which is why people never put 2 and 2 together- because "Cathy could never be that confident and bold to become a hero." lol

Foxy is a dorky rock chick who uses charm and jokes to try to deescalate a serious situation and make it more light-hearted or to throw off an opponent in that heat of battle. She's a pacifist to an extent, using violence as a last resort and will always try and talk it out (but that rarely happens in Gotham), but if she has no choice but to fight, she'll try to make the injuries that are least damaging and only fights to immobilise them. There are rare instances where she would "Pull a Batman" and decimate someone, but those are under some very extreme circumstances (like dealing with Zsasz for example). She has the patience of a saint, but patience does have its limits.

She's a bleeding heart and always tries to see the good in people and is an avid believer in rehabilitating most of the Rogues. She treats them like people, even if others don't. But there are times when she has to recognise that some people can never be helped. Most would consider her näive for having any hope for the super criminals, which at times she would be- but in Foxy words- "I would rather die kind, than be cruel."

Height: 5'8

Gender: She/Her

Eye colour: blue

Hair colour: Brown

Sexuality: Pansexual

Ethnicity: Irish-American (Irish heritage from her dads side)

Siblings: Older Brother and Sister (10 years older and cut contact with family)

Occupations: (Day) Head engineer at Wayne Tower, (Night) Masked vigilante.

Has ASD (undiagnosed)

Quirks/Hobbies/Skills:

High IQ/ Photographic memory.

Specialised in Krav Maga, Kung Fu, Jui Jitsu and Caproeria fighting styles, and high levels of flexibility.

Proficient in parkour and rock climbing.

High pain tolerance.

She can play the electric guitar as if it were her first language.

Is a zombie movie fanatic.

Capable of engineering new gadgets and software from scratch (both as a pass time and as her day job at Wayne Tower.)

Fluent in ASL. And able to understand some other common languages (she's still learning.)

Plays video games in her spare time lol.

Originally, what I had planned for Foxy was to only interact with Riddler so she could be his counterbalance and also have her interact with a handful of other rogues in silly shenanigans. But then I fell in too deep, and now I am developing this massive Au, with a lot more characters and lore full of love, heartbreak, pain, suffering, and horrors beyond human compression. And ooooooh boy- the stuff that I have planned is nothing short than scuffed >;]

Sorry that I went on this whole rambling session about Foxy. She is one of my most cherished OCs whom I love dearly, and I really like talking about her and the stuff she does hehe <3

I hope I didn't overwhelm ya with it ;<;

#arkhamverse #arkham survivor au #the flying fox #arkham oc #my oc #lynx’s art stuff #lynx's chatting corner #a quick ramble of my favourite dorky fruit bat lol #idk why i wrote this much about her- i think i just wanted to get it out of my system 😂#but yee- a short brief of Foxy for ya lol

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ecatech · 2 months ago

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AI Programmer: 8 Great Tips

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the landscape of technology, industries, and societies. From automating mundane tasks to creating intelligent systems capable of making decisions, AI has become one of the most significant technological advancements of the 21st century. At the forefront of this transformation is the role of the AI programmer. AI programmers are the architects who build…

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#artificial intelligent development tips #ecommerce website design video tips #software development video blogs #web development vlog post #website design video guide

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skykashi · 2 years ago

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So I just had to turn off the reblogs of the Gai art, it seems like some popular blog reblogged the post with the ridiculous reblog of the baseless accusations that has absolutely no evidence or proof whatsoever and ppl have been reblogging it from them to point me out as the new villain on Tumblr, just because someone think they are too smart for this world and has a built-in AI detection sensors in their brain that they can throw serious accusations like that with literally nothing to back it up except that their Spidey senses are tingling!

I just can't believe how easy it is to destroy someone's reputation and years of hard work in seconds just because someone wanted to, you have no idea how discouraging this whole thing is, to work your butt off to create something just to be met with this at the end, am I supposed to record the process of every artwork I create and post it with my artworks from now on? How am I supposed to keep working on myself and challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone and improve my skills if the second I post something a little different from the usual I get attached like this? You have no idea how hard it is to have to work with such a crappy tablet, how time and effort consuming it is to keep trying to create something pretty on a lagging screen and no pen pressure sensitivity, but I have no choice but to be stubborn and determined enough to just keep trying anyway and spend 10x more time and effort than anyone else because that's what I love to do and it's limiting my creativity so much but I just have to make it work with what I can afford... and then the one time I had enough motivation coming from wanting to create something that will put a smile on my friend's @depressedhatakekakashi face just like they continue to put a smile on my face so I chose to do something different this time for them, something that I don't usually go for because of how extremely hard it will be on a stupid tablet like mine but my appreciation and gratitude for them gave me the push I needed to do it and challenge those limitations even further, not knowing that there's someone lurking in the shadows waiting for a moment like that to destroy all of my hard work.

First, they said "oh, I think it's AI because some parts look pixilated" so I recorded a video showing how things get pixilated when I move them between Adobe Illustrator and Clip Studio Paint and why I'm forced to use both software together for a piece like this so they then say "I don't understand how what you said is relevant" then changed their reason to "because the art style in this piece looks different from your usual art style" and um, my usual art style is meant to look like cartoon and this one is meant to look realistic HOW COULD IT NOT LOOK DIFFERENT?!!!, like I don't understand, am I stuck with only one type of artwork now because that's what I usually do? Am I not allowed to try something new for a change or try to challenge myself or develop my skills? Can someone tell me where I can get a permit to have freedom with my creations? Or am I supposed to just stop trying all together?!!!

#rant post #I have spent years getting bullied in school when I was a kid #and honestly thought that I would never have to go though that again now that I am a grown up #never thought that I will be bullied on the internet too #didn't know I will have to relive this feeling again in my 30's #naruto

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borfungus · 3 months ago

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Hello hello hello!! I’m Sable, but you can also call me Borf (gamer name)

I’m a software developer by day and big hat big cloak character collector also by day but also at night. I draw a lot!!! Here are some fandoms you might see me draw fanart of

In Stars and Time ✨ <- main one rn lmao

Psychonauts

Dungeon Meshi (mostlyyy just Farcille :) )

The Adventure Zone (mostly balance)

Kingdom Hearts (not niche at all but it’s a life long fixation of mine)

Tbh most of the popular indie RPG style games! (Undertale deltarune oneshot yada yada yada)

I also make ORIGINAL ARTWORK and HAVE GAME DEV PROJECTS

If you want to see those things check out these tags! VVVVV

#borfwork <- original art work, or any fanart I’m super proud of!

#borfdev <- game dev tag! For my video game/experience projects :)

Questions no one has asked that I will answer now

“Can I use your art as a pfp?” YES, PLEASE GIVE CREDIT BUT YES

“Do you take art requests” YES I DO PLEASE GOD PLEASE

“Do you do commissions?” No :3 I want to solidify my style first.

“Is this blog isat spoiler friendly?” I do my best to tag it when I see it! But I forget often. So not really

OK THANKS

#borfwork #my artwork #meet the artist #borfungus

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msrlunatj · 10 months ago

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¿Qué Distribución de Linux Deberías Usar Según tus Intereses? / Which Linux Distribution Should You Use Based on Your Interests?

Introducción / Introduction

Español: Linux ofrece una vasta gama de distribuciones, cada una diseñada para diferentes intereses y necesidades. Ya sea que te enfoques en el desarrollo de software, la administración de sistemas, la creación de contenido multimedia, o simplemente busques una alternativa a Windows o macOS, hay una distribución de Linux que se adapta a ti. Además, Linux proporciona ventajas significativas sobre otros sistemas operativos en muchos de estos escenarios. En este blog, exploraremos cuál distribución es ideal según tus intereses y las razones por las que Linux puede ser una mejor opción en comparación con Windows o macOS. Presentaremos esta información de manera accesible para tanto hispanohablantes como angloparlantes.

English: Linux offers a wide range of distributions, each designed for different interests and needs. Whether you focus on software development, system administration, multimedia creation, or simply seek an alternative to Windows or macOS, there’s a Linux distribution that suits you. Additionally, Linux offers significant advantages over other operating systems in many of these scenarios. In this blog, we’ll explore which distribution is ideal based on your interests and why Linux might be a better choice compared to Windows or macOS. This information will be presented in a way that is accessible to both Spanish and English speakers.

1. Ubuntu: Ideal para Principiantes, Desarrollo y Diseño Gráfico / Ubuntu: Ideal for Beginners, Development, and Graphic Design

Español: Ubuntu es la elección perfecta para quienes son nuevos en Linux o buscan una distribución estable y fácil de usar para el desarrollo de software. Su amplia compatibilidad con aplicaciones como GIMP, Inkscape y Blender también la convierte en una excelente opción para diseñadores gráficos e ilustradores. Además, Ubuntu ofrece soporte para una variedad de herramientas de desarrollo, lo que la hace ideal para programadores.

English: Ubuntu is the perfect choice for those new to Linux or looking for a stable and user-friendly distribution for software development. Its broad compatibility with applications like GIMP, Inkscape, and Blender also makes it an excellent choice for graphic designers and illustrators. Additionally, Ubuntu offers support for a variety of development tools, making it ideal for programmers.

2. Fedora: Para Desarrolladores, Seguridad y Creación de Contenido Multimedia / Fedora: For Developers, Security, and Multimedia Creation

Español: Fedora se destaca por estar a la vanguardia en términos de tecnología y seguridad. Es una distribución ideal para desarrolladores y aquellos interesados en seguridad informática. Además, Fedora es compatible con una amplia gama de software para edición de video, audio y animación, como Kdenlive, Audacity y Blender, lo que la convierte en una opción sólida para creadores de contenido multimedia.

English: Fedora stands out for being at the forefront of technology and security. It’s an ideal distribution for developers and those interested in cybersecurity. Additionally, Fedora supports a wide range of software for video editing, audio production, and animation, such as Kdenlive, Audacity, and Blender, making it a solid choice for multimedia content creators.

3. Debian: Para Administradores de Sistemas, Usuarios Avanzados y Diseño 3D / Debian: For System Administrators, Advanced Users, and 3D Design

Español: Debian es conocida por su estabilidad, lo que la hace ideal para administradores de sistemas y usuarios avanzados. Su entorno sólido también es adecuado para diseñadores 3D que buscan un sistema confiable para trabajar con software como Blender o FreeCAD. Debian proporciona un entorno de trabajo predecible y seguro, ideal para manejar proyectos de gran escala y complejidad.

English: Debian is known for its stability, making it ideal for system administrators and advanced users. Its solid environment is also suitable for 3D designers looking for a reliable system to work with software like Blender or FreeCAD. Debian provides a predictable and secure work environment, ideal for handling large-scale and complex projects.

4. Arch Linux: Para Usuarios Avanzados, Personalización Extrema y Jugadores / Arch Linux: For Advanced Users, Extreme Customization, and Gamers

Español: Arch Linux es la distribución preferida por aquellos que desean un control total sobre su sistema. Es ideal para usuarios avanzados que buscan personalización extrema y desean optimizar su sistema para el rendimiento en juegos. Arch te permite configurar tu entorno de juego con precisión, optimizando el rendimiento con herramientas como Steam y Proton para jugar títulos de Windows en Linux.

English: Arch Linux is the preferred distribution for those who want full control over their system. It’s ideal for advanced users seeking extreme customization and who want to optimize their system for gaming performance. Arch allows you to finely tune your gaming environment, optimizing performance with tools like Steam and Proton for playing Windows titles on Linux.

5. Linux Mint: Alternativa a Windows para Escritorio y Creadores de Contenido / Linux Mint: Windows Alternative for Desktop Users and Content Creators

Español: Linux Mint ofrece una experiencia de usuario familiar para aquellos que buscan una alternativa a Windows, siendo particularmente amigable para el uso en escritorios. También es una excelente opción para creadores de contenido que necesitan una distribución simple y efectiva para trabajar con herramientas como OBS Studio, GIMP y Audacity. Mint combina facilidad de uso con estabilidad, facilitando la transición desde Windows.

English: Linux Mint offers a familiar user experience for those seeking an alternative to Windows, being particularly user-friendly for desktop use. It’s also an excellent choice for content creators who need a simple and effective distribution for working with tools like OBS Studio, GIMP, and Audacity. Mint combines ease of use with stability, making the transition from Windows smooth.

6. Pop!_OS: Para Desarrolladores, Gamers y Diseño 3D / Pop!_OS: For Developers, Gamers, and 3D Design

Español: Pop!_OS es una distribución basada en Ubuntu, optimizada para desarrolladores y jugadores. Incluye soporte nativo para GPUs, lo que la hace ideal para jugar y trabajar en proyectos de diseño 3D con software como Blender. Además, su enfoque en la productividad y el flujo de trabajo eficiente la convierte en una excelente opción para desarrolladores que buscan un entorno de trabajo optimizado.

English: Pop!_OS is a Ubuntu-based distribution optimized for developers and gamers. It includes native GPU support, making it ideal for gaming and working on 3D design projects with software like Blender. Additionally, its focus on productivity and efficient workflow makes it an excellent choice for developers looking for an optimized work environment.

Ventajas de Linux Sobre Windows y macOS / Advantages of Linux Over Windows and macOS

Español: Linux ofrece diversas ventajas sobre Windows y macOS, incluyendo:

Costo: La mayoría de las distribuciones de Linux son gratuitas, lo que reduce significativamente el costo en comparación con las licencias de Windows o macOS.

Seguridad: Linux es conocido por su robusta seguridad, con menos vulnerabilidades a malware debido a su arquitectura y modelo de permisos.

Rendimiento: Linux es más eficiente en el uso de recursos, ofreciendo mejor rendimiento, especialmente en hardware más antiguo o limitado.

Personalización: Con Linux, tienes un control total sobre tu sistema, permitiendo ajustar cada aspecto según tus necesidades, lo que es ideal para usuarios avanzados y creadores de contenido.

English: Linux offers several advantages over Windows and macOS, including:

Cost: Most Linux distributions are free, significantly reducing costs compared to Windows or macOS licenses.

Security: Linux is known for its robust security, with fewer vulnerabilities to malware due to its architecture and permission model.

Performance: Linux is more resource-efficient, offering better performance, especially on older or limited hardware.

Customization: With Linux, you have full control over your system, allowing you to tweak every aspect to fit your needs, ideal for advanced users and content creators.

Conclusión / Conclusion

Español: Elegir la distribución de Linux adecuada puede mejorar significativamente tu experiencia, dependiendo de tus intereses y necesidades. Desde Ubuntu y Fedora para principiantes y desarrolladores, hasta Arch Linux para usuarios avanzados y jugadores, y Pop!_OS para creadores de contenido y diseño 3D, hay una distribución que se adapta a cada perfil. Linux ofrece notables ventajas sobre Windows y macOS, convirtiéndose en una opción atractiva para una amplia variedad de usuarios.

English: Choosing the right Linux distribution can significantly enhance your experience, depending on your interests and needs. From Ubuntu and Fedora for beginners and developers, to Arch Linux for advanced users and gamers, and Pop!_OS for content creators and 3D design, there’s a distribution that fits every profile. Linux offers notable advantages over Windows and macOS, making it an attractive option for a wide range of users.

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